Professional Remodeler articles from May 2009

Professional Remodeler archives from May 2009

Products That Stand Out.
May 1, 2009... By Nick Bajzek, Products Editor It's Swell Kiss swelling and warping goodbye. Anthony Forest Products recently introduced Power Preserved Glulam Beams and Columns. The boards are treated with Hoover Treated Wood Products' Cop-Guard...

High Standard.
May 1, 2009... By Wendy A. Jordan, Senior Contributing Editor An elevated deck raises outdoor living to the standard of this remodeled house Over the past decade, the owners upgraded this 22-year-old Atlanta house section by section, transforming it...

All Hands on Deck.
May 1, 2009... By Nick Bajzek, Products Editor Composite and cPVC decking manufacturers have begun nibbling away at traditional pressure-treated lumber's market share. Wood-plastic composites are chipping away at pressure-treated lumber's lead as the...

A Taste of Luxury.
May 1, 2009... By Wendy A. Jordan, Senior Contributing Editor Homeowners look to outdoor spaces for relaxation, retreat and luxury Outdoor living spaces are one pleasure homeowners are not willing to give up during the economic downturn. If anything,...

Negotiating With The Savvy Buyer.
May 1, 2009... Allison P. Iantosca, Contributing Editor Just the word negotiation conjures up images of long conference room tables, heavy dark suits, furrowed brows, poker faces, a winner and a loser. The loser fails to play the game, is weaker and...

Create Your Own Happy Ending.
May 1, 2009... Bruce Case, Contributing Editor Once upon a time -- Joe grew up holding the toolbox for his father -- he could do anything with wood and had a passion for turning homeowner's dreams into magic. After years of watching others reap the...

Staying Positive.
May 1, 2009... By Jonathan Sweet, Senior Editor Jason Larson is looking at the downturn as an opportunity, not a problem Few areas have been hit as hard by the downturn as San Diego. Yet Jason Larson, president of Lars Construction, has managed to...

Take a Break to Focus on What's Important.
May 1, 2009... Doug Dwyer, Contributing Editor In preparing to write my column this month, I asked myself, what is the most important thing I could share? Then I realized that for most of us, the month of May signals that our children, grandchildren,...

This downturn is different.
May 1, 2009... Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director This market downturn may be the worst I've seen in remodeling in 30 years. I won't say it takes the crown, though. I know remodelers from New England who saw annual revenues in the early '90s drop from...

Let the Sun Shine.
May 1, 2009... By Nick Bajzek, Products Editor Remodeler Millard Blakely dishes to Professional Remodeler on taking a rather unique approach to adopting solar technology and other eco-friendly building alternatives. Millard Blakely, owner of...

Wall St. Weighs On New York.
May 1, 2009... By Jonathan Sweet, Senior Editor With Wall Street and the banking industry getting hit hard since last fall, even the normally recession-resistant New York market is feeling pain during this downturn. It's not just Manhattan that feels...

The Business To Be Had.
May 1, 2009... Mary Busey Harris, Contributing Editor This is a tough time to be a remodeler. Home values have dropped, credit markets are tight, consumers are nervous. You know the story well. Despite challenging conditions, we focus on the business...

New Products.
May 1, 2009... Staff Monarch of the Fans Staff Kichler put a twist on the traditional ceiling fan with the new Monarch. This energy-efficient great-room fan boasts a 70-inch blade sweep for large spaces. The brushless motor uses 65 percent less...

Rewarding Referrals.
May 1, 2009... By Jonathan Sweet, Senior Editor More than ever, successfully tapping your past client base is the key to success With a sputtering economy and crashing home prices, it's not an easy time to find new remodeling clients. But it is a...

Make the Most of the Stimulus.
May 1, 2009... Tom Swartz, Contributing Editor How remodelers can benefit from the energy-efficient tax credits The tax credits for energy-efficient remodels included in the recent stimulus package are getting a lot of attention. We talked to two...

All Aboard.
May 1, 2009... By Wendy A. Jordan, Senior Contributing Editor Smart systems keep a high-speed, multi-company project on track Dan and Barbara Strauss have great things to say about their Victorian house in suburban Connecticut and also about the...

Trade Secrets.
May 1, 2009... By Jonathan Sweet, Senior Editor Sweeping the Neighborhood Jonathan Sweet Almost every remodeler tries to land more projects from the neighbors of the homes on which they're working. But Cruickshank Remodeling has come up with...